United States

China

Economics

Politics

U.S.-China Relations

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer held a video call with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, China's trade envoy to the United States, late on July 30, in which Bessent said he emphasized expectations that China uphold its "commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products," according to Axios.

U.S., China: Trade Call Shows Limited Aims for September Xi-Trump Summit

Europe

Cyber

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The European Commission will gain powers to enforce the rules for providers of general-purpose artificial intelligence models under the bloc's AI Act on Aug. 2, empowering its AI Office to demand information, conduct evaluations, order corrective measures, withdraw models from the EU market and impose fines of up to 15 million euros ($17 million) or 3% of global turnover, Politico reported on July 31.

EU: Brussels To Gain Enforcement Powers Over Most Capable AI Models

Sub-Saharan Africa

Chinese investment announcements in Africa under Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative rose to $33.5 billion in the first half of 2026, an increase of more than 250% when compared to the first half of 2025, Semafort reported on July 27 based on a July 26 report from the University of Queensland's Asia Pacific Center for Industry Transitions and the China-based Green Finance & Development Center.

Africa: Chinese Investments in Africa More Than Triple in First Half of 2026, Report Finds

Chinese semiconductor manufacturing equipment makers have begun producing immersion deep ultraviolet (DUV) lithography machines and are developing prototypes of the more advanced extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines, The Information reported on July 27. 

China: Mass Production of Immersion DUV Lithography Machines Begins

Taiwan

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an, a more moderate member of the conservative Kuomintang, helped organize on July 25 the largest protest in Taiwan since President William Lai took office in May 2024, the South China Morning Post reported on July 27. 

Taiwan: Taipei Protest Shows Prospects for Pro-China Opposition to Moderate

Philippines

Military & Security

Chinese coast guard ships fired water cannons at two Philippine government fisheries vessels near the Scarborough Shoal, marking the second consecutive day of such actions there and third China-Philippines South China Sea confrontation in five days, Reuters reported on July 24.

China, Philippines, U.S.: Maritime Escalation Pushes South China Sea Dispute Onto Trump-Xi Agenda

China's Maritime Safety Administration announced on July 23 that the military would conduct live-fire drills in the Taiwan Strait from July 23-24, lasting from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day.

China, Taiwan: Coastal Live-Fire Drills Suggest Calculated Restraint 

Australia

New Zealand

Papua New Guinea

New Zealand and Papua New Guinea signed a 2026-29 framework to expand defense planning, training, exercises and personnel exchanges, Reuters reported on July 23.

New Zealand, Papua New Guinea: Defense Agreement Reinforces Western Security Alignment

Assessments

Ethiopia

South Africa

Brazil

Egypt

Iran

Saudi Arabia

Russia

India

(From left to right) Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attend a plenary session at the BRICS summit in Kazan on Oct. 24, 2024.

The bloc's push to develop an independent payment system for trade will not immediately undermine the U.S. dollar's global dominance, though it could reduce the effectiveness of U.S. sanctions.

The Implications of an Independent BRICS Payment System

Snapshots

Brunei Darussalam

Cambodia

Timor-Leste

Indonesia

Laos

Malaysia

Myanmar

Singapore

Thailand

Vietnam

Philippine Foreign Secretary Theresa Lazaro (center) and other leaders leave after a group photo session on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila on July 24, 2026.

Energy

The meetings in Manila produced talks but no immediate collective action on critical regional issues like the Iran war's energy shock, intensifying South China Sea tensions and the Myanmar civil war.

ASEAN Meetings Make Little Headway on Pressing Energy and Security Issues

Columns

On Security

This photo illustration shows the ChatGPT logo at an office in Washington, D.C., on March 15, 2023.

The autonomous targeting of Hugging Face by OpenAI's models highlights the urgent need for organizations to prepare for advanced cyberattacks orchestrated entirely by AI agents.

Beyond the Hype of Autonomous AI Breaches

A decorative plate featuring an image of Chinese President Xi Jinping is seen behind a statue of late communist leader Mao Zedong at a souvenir store next to Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China, on Feb. 27, 2018. 

Social Issues

China will remain a geopolitical enigma to the West as Beijing turns inward to insulate the CCP from the influence of external powers, an exercise that history suggests will threaten national prosperity and regime stability.

The Modern Geopolitics of China

A large container ship is seen docked at a port. 

Though interim measures or narrower agreements are plausible, Vietnam's dependence on Chinese inputs will likely prevent a comprehensive agreement, potentially exposing it to stricter U.S. scrutiny and new tariffs.

Vietnam's Reliance on Chinese Imports Complicates U.S. Trade Talks

United Kingdom

People pass a large banner depicting U.S. President Donald Trump with a target on his head during funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leade, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on July 5 in Tehran, Iran.

U.S.-Iran Relations

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: U.S.-Iran Conflict Escalates, ASEAN and Major Power Foreign Ministers Meet

Fiji

Vanuatu

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese (left) and Fiji Minister for Public Works, Transport and Meteorological Services, Ro Filipe Tuisawau (right) shake hands during the opening of the Vuvale Skills hub in Suva on July 6, 2026.

Australia's new pacts with Fiji and Vanuatu will strengthen barriers to Chinese military access, but persistent regional development needs and China's ability to project power without local basing will still provide space for Beijing to build influence.

Australia's Pacific Pacts Strengthen, but Don't Secure, Its Strategic Position Against China

On Geopolitics

Chinese President Xi Jinping (center) and Premier Li Qiang attend a plenary session of China's National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People on March 9, 2026, in Beijing, China.

Beijing will prioritize employment and social stability over rapid economic growth in the coming years, pressuring businesses to boost hiring and expand benefits amid demographic pressures, rising youth unemployment and AI-related job disruptions.

China Plans To Stabilize Employment in an Age of Change

Computer chips are seen on top of the U.S. and Chinese flags.

The Trump administration's recent shift to a more restrictive, ad-hoc licensing regime for frontier AI models risks slowing U.S. innovation and giving Chinese rivals a competitive advantage.

From Laissez-Faire to Licensing: Understanding Trump's Evolving AI Strategy

Colombia

Venezuela

Abelardo de la Espriella, who has since been declared president-elect, waves to supporters after casting his vote during the runoff election on June 21, 2026, in Barranquilla, Colombia. 

De la Espriella's administration will reverse many of the outgoing government's security, economic and social policies, restoring a hard-line anti-crime approach and deepening ties with the United States.

What de la Espriella's Victory Means for Colombia

A digital illustration of Europe.

The EU's push to reduce its reliance on foreign technology suppliers risks angering both China and the U.S., while execution will be hindered by domestic industrial constraints and internal political divisions.

Key Takeaways From the EU's Tech Sovereignty Package

Peru

Israel

Lebanon

North Korea

Armenia

A banner depicting the closure of the Strait of Hormuz on June 3 in Tehran. There will be an elevated risk of sporadic U.S.-Iran clashes over the next week, as no signs of a diplomatic breakthrough in U.S.-Iran negotiations on a memorandum of understanding have emerged.

The Weekly Rundown: Armenian Elections, Xi Goes to North Korea

<p>China is situated on the eastern third of the Eurasian landmass, between Russia, mainland Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and Central Asia. Its more than 9,000 mile-long coastline abuts the Yellow, East and South China Seas. China is a country of deep geographic divisions. Most fundamental is the split between its fertile eastern lowlands and the arid, sparsely populated highlands that enclose the lowlands like a shell. More than a billion people live in the ethnic Han Chinese core, making it one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Traditionally, threats to China&#39;s Han core originated in the borderlands. To guard against overland invasion, successive Chinese rulers have sought to push the Core&#39;s borders outward &mdash;integrating these highlands as strategic &quot;buffer&quot; zones. These zones form a shield, protecting and containing the core. To be secure, China must control the buffer regions. But maintaining control of the regions, in turn, requires a strong and united core. And that means overcoming immense internal divisions &mdash; not only between northern and southern regions orbiting the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, but also between smaller regional units, each with their own geography, history, dialect and interests. Chinese history is defined by cycles of unity and fragmentation, from periods when a strong Han core captures and holds the surrounding buffers to those when a weak core breaks into its constituent parts, loses internal coherence and cedes control of the borderlands. This pattern, rooted in China&#39;s geography, has played out with remarkable consistency. By comparison, China&#39;s maritime interests have remained mostly limited to coastal waters. Today, however, growing international trade and rising Chinese reliance on overseas resources threaten to alter the pattern, adding a new maritime dimension to the struggle for buffer space &mdash; and potentially upending the long-standing dynamics of China&#39;s geographic challenge.</p>

SITUATION REPORTS

U.S., China: Trade Call Shows Limited Aims for September Xi-Trump Summit

EU: Brussels To Gain Enforcement Powers Over Most Capable AI Models

Africa: Chinese Investments in Africa More Than Triple in First Half of 2026, Report Finds

China: Mass Production of Immersion DUV Lithography Machines Begins

Taiwan: Taipei Protest Shows Prospects for Pro-China Opposition to Moderate

China, Philippines, U.S.: Maritime Escalation Pushes South China Sea Dispute Onto Trump-Xi Agenda

China, Taiwan: Coastal Live-Fire Drills Suggest Calculated Restraint

New Zealand, Papua New Guinea: Defense Agreement Reinforces Western Security Alignment

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